A glove box, which is a storage device for a vehicle provided in front of a passenger seat, is disclosed in JP 08-002333 A.
The glove box is disposed in an instrument panel in front of the passenger seat so that the left and right side surfaces of the box are substantially parallel with the front doors of the vehicle. The side surfaces of the box are formed with curved surfaces in which the sides each bulge inward. An impact can be absorbed by mounting ribs on the curved surfaces.
However, a depth in the glove box is necessary for the left and right sides to deform and collapse, and the effect cannot be expected under a condition in which the depth is reduced. In the particular case that an interior design is adopted in which the instrument panel curves toward the center of the vehicle width so as to encompass vehicle occupants, the center portion of the instrument panel between the driver seat and the passenger seat bulge. Therefore, the depth of the left side surface in the vicinity of the vehicle door cannot be assured in comparison with the right side surface of the glove box in the vicinity of the center portion. In other words, there is a problem in that a distance between the passenger seat and the glove box is less on the right side surface of the glove box in the vicinity of the center portion, and the glove box collides with the legs of a vehicle occupant before the effect of an impact is sufficiently absorbed. The shape of the left and right side surfaces can be made different, but the structure then becomes complex.
A glove box disclosed in JP 09-086318 A has a front surface wall disposed in an instrument panel. The front surface wall is configured as a hollow structure composed of a base wall of a box, and a surface plate mounted on the seat side of the base wall. The hollow interior has lattice-shaped means for absorbing an impact. Impact-absorption is improved for this reason.
However, a thickness sufficient for providing the lattice shaped impact absorption means in the hollow space of the front wall is necessary in the front surface wall of the structure of the glove box, but, depending on conditions, a sufficient thickness of the front surface wall cannot be assured when a certain storage capacity is provided. For example, in the case of an interior design in which the instrument panel is made to curve so as to encompass the vehicle occupants, the center portions of the instrument panel between the driver seat and the passenger seat bulge, but the depth is reduced in the vicinity of the door. Therefore, the hollow space of the front wall is made thin, and as a result, the ability of the impact absorbing means to deform is reduced and it is difficult for the impact to be absorbed. The thickness of the hollow space in the vicinity of the center components can be increased (made wider), but the structure is made more complex in terms of setting the thickness of the impact absorbing means as well as in other aspects.